The worst of times turned into the best of times for a group of strangers thrown together in a section of Southwest Portland Wednesday night while the snowstorm . In time, the snow and ice , the wild February storm forgotten in the August heat. What will remain is a moment in time on a dark and cold night, a balm of sorts in a divisive world. “Let me tell you something,” said Philomena Thomas. “I got to meet good folks. ” This remarkably simple interaction began about 6 p. m. when Thomas, 49, heard cars honking and people yelling while she was inside her warm unit in a Southwest Portland apartment complex. “Oh, I knew what was happening,” she said. “It was the road. ” Even a light dusting of snow causes problems for motorists trying to get up Southwest Dosch Road at 30th Avenue. “The bottom of that hill is notorious,” she said. “It’s steep, and there’s something about the pavement. ” Curious, Thomas, her son, 23-year-old Darik Dreyer, and her husband, Abram Dreyer, left their apartment and walked to the intersection to witness the mess. Along the way they met neighbors — all strangers — from other apartments in the area doing the same thing. “My goodness,” said Thomas. “When we got to the bottom of the hill we saw hundreds of cars that were stuck and could not get up the hill. ” Without a word, this rag-tag group of strangers simply got to work helping all those motorists. “There were about eight of us,” she said. “We never got names. There was a wonderful Russian couple, and a couple of good ol’ boys. There was just an incredible spectrum of humanity out there in the snow. ” The strangers worked as a team. “People went and got snow shovels,” she said. “We had pieces of wood, carpet, sand, cat litter. Whatever we could get our hands on. We just wanted to get those cars unstuck and get that line moving. ” There was no boss, no one barking out orders. “Everyone chipped in,” Thomas said. “The vibe changed immediately. People in those cars went from being angry, scared and desperate to being patient and tolerant. It was a wonderful bonding experience in terrible conditions. ” Added her husband: “All of us helping eased that tension. ” Thomas talked to one motorist who said he had not eaten since noon and was a diabetic. “I went back to my apartment and brought him dinner,” she said. “We let folks use our bathroom. We handed out water and coffee and food to those motorists. There were elderly people and cars with children in them. This was a total group effort to help these people. We all did what we could for them. ” The group worked from 6 p. m. until midnight, not stopping until the road was clear of vehicles. “We’re paying for it today,” said Thomas. “We’re tired. ” It is hard work moving cars, of course. “But I didn’t want to quit,” Darik Dreyer said. “If I’d been in one of those cars, I’d want someone to help me. " Thomas wasn’t looking for anything special Wednesday night. But she found it. A gift, a tap on the shoulder that clears the head. “When it comes down to it,” she said, “the only thing we have in this world is each other. ” — Tom Hallman Jr 503-221-8224; ;.